It's Been Awhile

Man, it's been a long time since I blogged. So long, in fact, that I forgot my password and had to do that retrieval thing where you type in the squiggly letters (I hate that) and wait for the email, then follow the link, blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, I went through all of that to tell you that I am going to try to be more diligent about updating this blog. I make no promises, since my life is crazy right now and I tend to over-commit, but 2 1/2 months is a long hiatus. I will try not to do that again.

I have been thinking about alot of things lately, so I should be able to get some things down that might be valuable. We'll see. Updates coming soon, so stay tuned!

The Face of Love

Most of the ideas I get for new songs come from my wife. See, while I'm wasting my windshield time listening to grown men babble about how bad the Bengals and Reds are, she actually listens to music in the car and comes home with some really good songs. So last week she came to me with this song she heard by Sanctus Real called "The Face of Love". I listened, liked it, and started thinking of when and where I could use it.

Yesterday I was listening to it and trying to learn it for an upcoming Sunday where I think it might fit. I got to this certain line in the bridge, and I honestly couldn't sing it without tearing up. That never happens to me - NEVER - so I started the song over and tried again. Same thing. Weird. When I got home that evening and tried to tell this story to Suzanne, I started choking up just trying to say the lyrics.

So here are the lyrics. In reference to Jesus, the singer says "no one too lost for You to love, no one too low for You to serve". Man that hit me hard! But why? I really had some questions to ask of myself.

Have I ever given up on people who I think are "too far gone"? Sure have. Have I ever thought that I was better than someone else or that someone's needs didn't warrant my time, effort, or resources? You betcha. But Jesus never has.

I'm sure I will be thinking about this for a while. This lyric just will not leave my head. I just pray that I can put it into action.

Out With The Old...

I started a new job yesterday, and it has re-energized me a bit. Asking myself why I have a little more spring in my step made me re-visit an old realization that I haven't thought about in a while. I like change. I think I crave it sometimes. I even get excited about change that most people would want to avoid for fear that it might disrupt their comfort. I can't get comfortable.

I think when you grow up in the chaos that I grew up in, you become conditioned to need the chaos. My only constant was change, the only consistent was inconsistency. Nine schools in twelve years says alot. What most people would consider smooth sailing I consider a rut.

So I have decided that I need to be more intentional about being content. I have a great life. I should celebrate it more. When I start feeling restless, I should pray and thank God for the pretty long list of things that are going great in my life right now. Sounds simple, right. Then why is it so darn hard to do?

Here's the bottom line. I've never been more confident than I am now that I am precisely where God wants me to be and that I am moving towards His will. I am listening more than ever, and letting go of my agendas more than ever. But here's the next step - I need to be okay with the possiblilty that God wants me right here for the next 30 years. Maybe He does, maybe He doesn't, but if that's His plan then I need to be content with that plan. That won't be easy for me, being a "change-aholic", but God wants what's best for me, and He has FAR more perspective than I do.

So contenment is the word today. God is working the plan right now. I may not feel like anything is happening, but He doesn't need to check in with me to make sure that I'm okay with the plan.

I am.


Brandon

From Lyrics to Lead Licks

So this weekend I'm not leading worship. I will, however, be on stage. I'm playing lead guitar. This is something that I don't get to do very often. It stretches me, but in a good way. And best of all, it's FUN! I can forget about lyrics and liturgy and just rock out. We had rehearsal last night and it was a blast. My chops aren't what they should be or what they used to be, but I could get it back pretty quickly if I worked at it. I held my own last night and the band sounded great!

I think sometimes it's nice to just be in the background and be able to lose yourself in the music. Lots of times I find that I can even worship more freely when I'm just playing in the band. I wonder if other leaders, no matter what they're leading, find it refreshing to just be a part of the team sometimes. No pressure - just one of the guys. Doing your part, carrying you weight, and just having fun.

By no means would I ever want to stop leading worship. It's what God has called me to do. Just some thoughts. On a side note, I want to give a shout out to my team last night. I love these people. They came prepared and rocked it out. It should be another great weekend.


Brandon

My First Blog

So here we go. My first entry on my first blog. Here are some questions that I'm pondering as I embark on this new adventure:

- Should I even have a blog?
- Does anyone care what I have to say?
- Do I have anything to say?

Well, not today. At least not right now anyway. But stuff pops into my head all the time, so maybe I'll have something good soon. I'll be blogging mostly about my experiences as a follower of Jesus Christ and as a Worship Leader. I'll post some music, video, loops I've written, etc. if I think anyone will find them useful. Family stuff will also find it's way in from time to time, so I apologize in advance for gratuitous pictures of my kids. (They're REALLY cute!) I mostly just want to put stuff out there and here from you guys. So let's do this.